Conventional content management systems, such as that shown in FIG. 1A, typically include a Library Server (LS), one or more Resource Managers (RMs) and a client access application program interface (API). A client is coupled by a network to the API and seeks information stored in the Resource Manager. The Library Server stores metadata relating to all objects or data stored in the Resource Manager. The Library Server also controls the particular objects that a particular client user can access. Client users can submit requests known as queries through the API to search or retrieve metadata stored in the Library Server or objects stored in the Resource Manager.
One approach employed to store items in a content management system is to model an item in a single table. Unfortunately, such a single table approach results in many fields among the rows and columns of the table being unused. Such an approach is inefficient from the storage viewpoint. In the past, flat data models have been used to store data in a content management system. For example, FIG. 1B shows an Item Type which is represented by a single table to form such a flat data storage model.
Content management systems typically store three types of information, namely primary content (data), user metadata and system metadata. Primary content is stored in the Resource Manager and includes both structured and semi-structured data such as text files, images, web pages, video clips, for example. Descriptions of, and information about the primary content stored in the Resource Manager, which are normally provided by client users, are referred to as “user metadata” which is stored in the Library Server. In contrast to “user metadata”, “system metadata” is the information created by the content management system itself for access control, storage management, and content tracking and reference. Both user metadata and system metadata reside in the Library Server which acts as a repository for the metadata in database form. As compared to primary content, both user and system metadata are well structured. In general, content management systems provide a set of functions for content (data and metadata) creation, content search and retrieval, and content distribution that enable user to manage data, system metadata and user metadata. As mentioned, one approach depicted in FIG. 1A is to store the metadata in the Library Server and to store the primary content (data) in a separate component designated the Resource Manager. Another approach is to store both metadata and primary content in a common database.
In most content management systems, both system metadata and user metadata are searchable. However, content-based searching of the primary content is more limited. Traditionally, search on the metadata, termed parametric search, is through either a specific API or via SQL language on many systems. Since content management systems in general provide a much richer data model than their underlying database systems, writing search queries based on a specific API or SQL can be both tedious and inefficient.
What is needed is a methodology and apparatus for providing the content management system user with a simplified user experience when preparing queries to search for specific data stored in the system.